Carbery ankle injury scare overshadows Ireland World Cup warm-up win
Joey Carbery suffered an ankle injury scare as Ireland eased past Italy 29-10 in their first World Cup warm-up match in Dublin.
Fly-half Carbery will face an anxious wait to discover whether the new knee concern will dent his World Cup hopes.
Premier playmaker Johnny Sexton is expected to be fit shortly following a thumb strain, but Ireland can ill afford to lose either of their main backline pivots.
Ireland will open their World Cup by taking on Scotland on September 22, so any significant ankle issue now would threaten Carbery’s participation in Japan.
Connacht’s Jack Carty and Leinster’s Ross Byrne would be the men to understudy British and Irish Lions fly-half Sexton in Japan, should Carbery miss out through injury.
New Zealand-born Carbery offers Ireland added selection flexibility though, with the ability to cover full-back, and even centre at a push.
The try is converted by @JoeyCarbery making the score IRELAND 14-10 ITALY #ShoulderToShoulder #TeamOfUs #IREvITA pic.twitter.com/7UesPlqqHD
— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) August 10, 2019
Carbery, Dave Kearney, Andrew Conway, Jordi Murphy and Kieran Marmion all crossed as an experimental Ireland line-up secured a routine Aviva Stadium victory.
Maxime Mbanda and Carlo Canna bagged first-half tries as Italy exploited Ireland’s pre-season ring-rustiness.
Full time score @AVIVAStadium IRELAND 29-10 ITALY #ShoulderToShoulder #TeamOfUs #IREvITA pic.twitter.com/VXOVJPZuU4
— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) August 10, 2019
Chris Farrell increased his chances of World Cup travel with a smart showing at inside centre, but beyond that Ireland’s coaching team were not handed many new selection headaches.
Ireland were sloppy from the start, a curious Carbery crossfield bomb from his own 22 an unusual – and unsuccessful – exit strategy.
Dave Kearney then botched a nailed-on try, knocking on at the whitewash when attempting to scoop up Carbery’s hack through.
Italy struck first then, converting a driven lineout when the aggressive Mbanda dived home.
Carbery quickly levelled up the try count, cantering home through the 12 channel having traded places in Ireland’s backline with Farrell.
But just when Ireland expected to pull away, the Italians inflicted another flesh wound.
Giulio Bisegni’s cute grubber kick caught out Jordan Larmour in Ireland’s backfield, and Carlo Canna reached the bouncing ball first, to double the visitors’ try count.
Finally Ireland approached something resembling a rhythm, stringing the phases together deep in Azzurri territory.
Dave Kearney made amends for his early howler with a neat finish in the left corner, that owed everything to Garry Ringrose’s pass out of the tackle. It enabled Larmour to fire out wide, and Kearney junior did the rest.
Andrew Conway walked in a third at the death of the half, to leave Ireland leading 19-10 at the interval.
All set in @AVIVAStadium #IREvITA #ShoulderToShoulder
Everyone In pic.twitter.com/hKPXh1ogQ8
— Irish Rugby (@IrishRugby) August 10, 2019
Number eight Jordi Murphy capped a driven lineout for Ireland’s fourth try, in a solid second-half opening.
Both sides meandered through an utterly-forgettable third quarter, save for that worrying injury to Carbery.
Replacement scrum-half Marmion charged down Test debutant and Italy counterpart Callum Braley to claim the hosts’ fifth score.
– PA
Comments on RugbyPass
To me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
30 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
30 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
30 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
30 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
30 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
30 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
1 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
30 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to commentsSome thoughts to consider here, Sam. Thanks
2 Go to commentsI think he is right, SBW is respected in RSA. The guy who never stood up is a worm. Sseems lots of NZ SBW hate, you do the crime do the time.
17 Go to comments